All the people who are quibbling over what constitutes an SUV.... knock it off. I mean, seriously. The Kia Sportage might say "estate" on the V5 but it's an SUV. It's described as such on the manufacturer website, on magazine reviews, etc..
By SUV we know what we mean. Tall boxy cars that emulate the shape and car type that first became popularised with the Discovery, Range Rover, Cayenne etc, but quickly trickled down to smaller and cheaper cars once the fashionable looks element and perception of space became a selling point. They have high ride height.
If you mean "off road worthy 4x4 with a monocoque body and low range gearbox" then you're talking a tiny proportion of cars in today's market, the kind of Land Cruiser, Jeep Wrangler vehicle that few people really need but some love if they live rurally and tow etc.
Anyways back to the OP's topic -
The SUV class is the default go-to for people who want to "feel safe by being high up" and have "space" even though other car classes offer more space.
Most are 2WD, some are 4WD.
Qashqai is one of the biggest sellers but the Nissan vehicle has serious reliability issues. Hyundai Tucson is loved by many, has the looks and the space, if a bit dull on interior. You then have the Kia Sportage (ugh, but warranty!) and then a host of ludicriously Skoda ones like Russian dolls depending on which size you want (baby Kamiq, bigger Karoq, biggest Kodiaq). The worst above all is the Vauxhall Mokka, a Corsa on stilts often found in white that somehow makes people think they're superior and drive accordingly with terrifying lack of indicating on roundabouts.
In case it's not clear, I think the whole car class is a joke. An estate car with 4wd does everything and more that it can do. It's all about image.